EP2734638B1 - Marqueur épigénétique pour l'identification de cellules tueuses naturelles - Google Patents

Marqueur épigénétique pour l'identification de cellules tueuses naturelles Download PDF

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EP2734638B1
EP2734638B1 EP12737302.5A EP12737302A EP2734638B1 EP 2734638 B1 EP2734638 B1 EP 2734638B1 EP 12737302 A EP12737302 A EP 12737302A EP 2734638 B1 EP2734638 B1 EP 2734638B1
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cells
natural killer
methylation
mammal
sample
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EP2734638A1 (fr
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Sven Olek
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Precision for Medicine GmbH
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Epiontis GmbH
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
    • C12Q1/00—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions
    • C12Q1/68—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions involving nucleic acids
    • C12Q1/6876—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes
    • C12Q1/6881—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes for tissue or cell typing, e.g. human leukocyte antigen [HLA] probes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
    • C12Q1/00—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions
    • C12Q1/68—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions involving nucleic acids
    • C12Q1/6876—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes
    • C12Q1/6883—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes for diseases caused by alterations of genetic material
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
    • C12Q1/00—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions
    • C12Q1/68—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions involving nucleic acids
    • C12Q1/6876—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes
    • C12Q1/6883—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes for diseases caused by alterations of genetic material
    • C12Q1/6886—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes for diseases caused by alterations of genetic material for cancer
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
    • C12Q2600/00—Oligonucleotides characterized by their use
    • C12Q2600/154—Methylation markers

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to a method, in particular an in vitro method for identifying natural killer cells and their subgroups in a mammal, preferably CD3 negative, non T-lymphocyte derived NK cells, which often express the surface proteins CD56 and/or CD16, comprising analyzing the accessibility of the genomic DNA for OSBPL, such as OSBPL5, to bisulfite conversion and/or the methylation status of at least one CpG position in the genes for OSBPL, such as OSBPL5, in particular in their upstream and/or downstream regulatory regions, the promoter, introns, exons and introns exon borders and other conserved regions of said genes, wherein an increase of the accessibility of the genomic DNA to chemical/other modifications and/or a demethylation in the sample as analyzed is indicative for said subgroup of NK cells.
  • the analyses can identify CD56 + cells and distinguish them from all other cells such as, for example, either CD56 - and/or CD56 bright cells.
  • the methods of the present disclosure are useful for the identification, the detection, the quantification and quality assurance and control of NK cells.
  • the present disclosure relates to a kit for performing the above methods as well as respective uses of the methods or kits.
  • the present disclosure furthermore provides an improved method for analyzing the accessibility of the genomic DNA for OSBPL, such as OSBPL5, to chemical conversion, such as in particular by bisulfite treatment, and/or an analysis of the methylation status of at least one CpG position in the genes for OSBPL, such as OSBPL5, allowing for a precise analysis of both optimal quality samples, such as fresh (EDTA- or heparin or so) blood or fresh or fresh frozen tissue and even from sub-optimal quality samples, such as non-freshly obtained, e.g. frozen blood, formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue or frozen serum samples.
  • optimal quality samples such as fresh (EDTA- or heparin or so) blood or fresh or fresh frozen tissue
  • sub-optimal quality samples such as non-freshly obtained, e.g. frozen blood, formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue or frozen serum samples.
  • Natural killer cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes, derived from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). They represent an essential component of the innate immune system. They comprise about 2 to 20% of lymphocytes in the spleen, liver, and peripheral blood and are also present - even if potentially at lower frequencies - in other tissues such as bone marrow, thymus, lymph nodes, various organs and in various tissues of the body, either within the blood stream or infiltrated in the tissues. They were originally identified by their ability to kill certain (tumor-) target cells without sensitization. This killing works in vivo and in vitro and is not restricted by the target cell's expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules.
  • MHC major histocompatibility complex
  • NK cells also possess natural cytotoxic activity against conspicuous, such as - but not restricted to (virus-) infected and/or tumor - cells. In addition, they mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of targets through Fc-gammaRIII (CD16), a receptor that binds the Fc portion of antibodies.
  • ADCC antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity
  • the traditional identifier for human non-NKT NK cells is the absence of the T cell receptor complex (TCR, CD3), along with the expression of CD56, a 140-kDa isoform of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). Based on their CD56 receptor expression density, human NK cells are often further subdivided into CD56 dim or CD56 bright NK cells. In the periphery, the majority (>90%) of NK cells have been found to consist of CD56 dim along with high expression of CD16, and the remaining approximately 10% are CD56 bright NK cells coming along with low or no expression of CD16.
  • TCR T cell receptor complex
  • NCAM neural cell adhesion molecule
  • the described CD56 dim NK cell fraction is generally considered the "classical cytotoxic NK cell subset".
  • the CD56 bright fraction displays much lower cytotoxicity and, instead, produces high amounts of cytokines, including IFN ⁇ and TNF ⁇ , indicating a primary role in immunoregulatory function. Hence, this fraction is sometimes referred to as regulatory NK cell fraction.
  • the current methodological approaches for a quantitative determination of immune cells remain problematic, such as for routine testing in clinical applications, which usually requires some lag times, and hence robustness and stability of the analyte.
  • the flow cytometric methods used for measurement of cells in peripheral blood are not adequate for immune cells infiltrating other tissues, including solid tissues during tumor development or at/after inflammation.
  • flow cytometric methods are not applied in these areas and the surrogate methods (mostly immune histochemistry) are at most semi-quantitative methods.
  • the present inventors present a marker that can be used for the identification and quantification of NK cells in an alternative quantitative, more efficient, robust and integral approach: the analysis of cell type-, or cell status- specific epigenetic (DNA methylation and or chromatin structure and or DNA chemical inertness) markers.
  • the identification of specific epigenetic markers will greatly facilitate the measurement of blood and immune cell types.
  • the primary target of methylation is the two-nucleotide sequence Cytosine-Guanine (a 'CpG site'); within this context cytosine (C) can undergo a simple chemical modification to become 5-methyl-cytosine.
  • C Cytosine-Guanine
  • the CG sequence is much rarer than expected except in certain relatively dense clusters called 'CpG islands'.
  • CpG islands are frequently associated with gene promoters, and it has been estimated that more than half of the human genes have CpG islands ( Antequera and Bird, ProcNatlAcadSci USA. 90:11995-9, 1993 ).
  • genes encoding members of the oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) family are a group of intracellular lipid receptors that play a key role in the maintenance of cholesterol balance in the body. Most members contain an N-terminal pleckstrin homology domain and a highly conserved C-terminal OSBP-like sterol-binding domain. Transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified.
  • OSBP oxysterol-binding protein
  • Accession number NG_009548 describes the 85237 bp DNA sequence of Homo sapiens oxysterol binding protein-like 5 (OSBPL5) on chromosome 11.
  • Li et al. (in: Li SS, Yu SL, Singh S. Epigenetic states and expression of imprinted genes in human embryonic stem cells. World J Stem Cells. 2010 Aug 26;2(4):97-102 .) describe expression profiles of 32 known imprinted genes of five hESC lines. The expression levels of 21 imprinted genes were relatively low in undifferentiated hESC lines, and five of these genes (TP73, COPG2, OSBPL5, IGF2 and ATP10A) were found to be up-regulated in differentiated tissues.
  • Higashimoto et al. (in: Higashimoto K, et al., Characterization and imprinting status of OBPH1/Obph1 gene: implications for an extended imprinting domain in human and mouse. Genomics. 2002 Dec;80(6):575-84 .) describe the human 11p15.5, as well as its orthologous mouse 7F4/F5, imprinting domain.
  • OBPH1 and Obph1 are located beyond the presumed imprinting boundary on the IPL/Ipl side. They determined full-length cDNAs and complete genomic structures of both orthologues and investigated their precise imprinting and methylation status. The orthologues resembled each other in genomic structure and in the position of the 5' CpG island and were expressed ubiquitously.
  • OBPH1 and Obph1 were predominantly expressed from the maternal allele only in placenta, with hypo- and not differentially methylated 5' CpG islands in both species. These results suggested that the imprinting domain would extend beyond the presumed imprinting boundary and that methylation of the 5' CpGisland was not associated with the imprinting status in either species.
  • the publication does not disclose to use methylation analysis for the identification of cell types, and the genes are described as being expressed ubiquitously.
  • EP 1213360 describes a method of identifying a cell, tissue or nucleus, comprising collecting information on the methylation pattern of DNA isolated from the cell, tissue or nucleus and analyzing the resultant information.
  • WO 2004/050706 describes a sub-group of T-cells, and relates to characteristics of regulatory T-cells which define them as such. The application also describes the uses of such T-cells, compositions comprising them and chemokines which recruit them in the modulation of an immune response WO 2010/125106 discloses epigenetic marker for the identification of natural killer cells.
  • the invention solves the above problem by providing a method for identifying natural killer cells (CD56 dim -cells and/or CD56 hlgh cells) in a sample derived from a mammal, comprising analyzing the methylation status of at least one CpG position in one or more of the regions of the gene for oxysterol binding protein-like protein 5, OSBPL5, wherein a demethylation of said at least one CpG position in said region as analyzed, when compared to an analogous position in a CD56 negative cell, is indicative for CD56 positive natural killer (NK) cell.
  • a method for identifying natural killer cells CD56 dim -cells and/or CD56 hlgh cells
  • the invention solves the above problem of identifying and quantifying classical CD56 dim cells by providing a method for identifying CD56 dim natural killer cells in a sample derived from a mammal, comprising analyzing the methylation status of at least one CpG position in one or more of the regions of the gene for oxysterol binding protein-like protein 5, OSBPL5, wherein a demethylation of said at least one CpG position in said region as analyzed, when compared to an analogous position in a non-NK-cell or a non-CD56 dim -NK cell, is indicative for a CD56 dim natural killer cell.
  • said CD56 dim -natural killer cells of said mammal are CD3 - or CD3 + .
  • Higashimoto et al. in: Higashimoto K, Soejima H, Yatsuki H, Joh K, Uchiyama M, Obata Y, Ono R, Wang Y, Xin Z, Zhu X, Masuko S, Ishino F, Hatada I, Jinno Y, Iwasaka T, Katsuki T, Mukai T. Characterization and imprinting status of OBPH1/Obph1 gene: implications for an extended imprinting domain in human and mouse. Genomics.
  • said at least one CpG position is present in the 5' region upstream from the transcription start, promoter region, the 5' or 3' untranslated regions,intron, and/or exon/intron border, or in the 3' region downstream of the transcriptional stop.
  • said at least one CpG position is selected from the CpG positions located in the amplicon OSBPL5 (Amp 1746) according to SEQ ID NO: 1, and preferably selected from positions 46, 66, 103, 130, 135, 152, 163, 173, 176, 182, or 224 of Amplicon No. 1746.
  • the present invention includes methods, where more than one CpG position in a region is analyzed, such as, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 positions (e.g. in the AMP 1746 region as above). Then, an overall methylation (or demethylation) of the region as analyzed can be determined, when compared to an analogous region in a non-NK cell. Therefore, also methods of the invention are preferred, wherein said region is demethylated (hypomethylated) to more than 70%, preferably more than 80%, or 90%, and most preferred more than 95% when compared to an analogous region (hyper or fully methylated) in a non-NK cell.
  • the person of skill will furthermore be able to select specific subsets of CpG positions in order to minimize the amount of sites to be analyzed, for example all sites as present on the amplicon according to SEQ ID No 1, or any other selected sub-sequence in the OSBPL genes as analyzed, for example as described above of the 5' region upstream from the transcription start, promoter region, the 5' or 3' untranslated regions,intron, and/or exon/intron border, or in the 3' region downstream of the transcriptional stop.
  • Yet another aspect relates to a method according to the present invention, wherein the analysis of the methylation status comprises a method selected from methylation specific enzymatic digests, bisulphite sequencing, analysis selected from promoter methylation, CpG island methylation, MSP, HeavyMethyl, MethyLight, Ms-SNuPE, qPCR or other methods relying on the detection of genomic DNA, chemically or enzymatically modified DNA or amplified genomic or chemically or enzymatically modified DNA. Also preferred is an additional analysis of the marker CD56, CD16 and/or CD8.
  • Another embodiment of the invention relates to the above methods, wherein said identification comprises a distinction and, optionally, a further quantification, of said natural killer cells from all major peripheral blood cell types or non-blood cells, and then further comprises the step of concluding on the immune status of said mammal based on said natural killer cells as identified.
  • NK cells can be identified and quantified due to their (unique) methylation pattern in the analyzed genes. Based on this they can also be quantitated, as the loss of methylation strictly correlates with NK cells (see, for example, Figure 2 and table 2).
  • the "immune status" of a person shall mean the status of the immune system of a given person in a given situation, in any given tissue type at any given disease situation. For example, it may be important to determine the immune status in a (tumor) tissue biopsy of a person who suffers from a solid tumor. Also, it may be relevant to determine the immune status of a (presumably) healthy person in the peripheral blood in order to determine the persons health status, whereby both an increase or a decrease of the cells - as quantified by the given number of methylated and unmethylated copies of the analyzed genes - may be indicative for a disease, such as for example, the presence of a tumor at an unknown site of the body, or an autoimmune reaction or a chronic infection.
  • Samples are selected from a fresh, fresh-frozen or fully prepared (such as formalin fixed paraffin embedded) sample, including mammalian body fluid, preferable human blood samples, (serum samples) or tumorous or non-tumorous solid tissue samples, organ or cell type blood sample. These samples should be mammalian, preferably mouse, rat, monkey, bovine, swine or human.
  • a mammal most preferred a human, which suffers from or is likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, viral or bacterial infections, transplant rejections, cancer including solid and non solid cancers, and/or allergy or any disease directly correlated to NK cells, such as - including but not limited to - diseases as phenotypically described by SCID-X1.
  • Yet another aspect relates to a method according to the present invention, further comprising the step of concluding on the number and/or amount of said CD56 dim natural killer cells as identified in said sample based on said identification and quantification.
  • the number and/or amount of said natural killer cells in particular those as defined by CD56+ and/or CD56+ and CD56++
  • additional control experiments e.g. demethylated GAPDH analysis in parallel
  • inventive method is useful for monitoring the level of CD56 dim natural killer cells in a mammal, comprising a method according to the invention, and comparing the amount of natural killer cells as identified to an earlier sample taken from the same mammal, and/or to a control sample.
  • Yet another aspect relates to a method according to the present invention, further comprising the step of concluding on the immune status of said mammal based on the number and/or amount of said natural killer cells as identified in said sample.
  • Yet another aspect relates to a method according to the present invention, wherein said mammal suffers from or is likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, transplant rejections, cancer, infections, allergy and/or any disease directly correlated to NK cells, such as, but not limited to, SCID-X1.
  • the method is also useful for measuring and/or monitoring the amount of said natural killer cells in response to chemical and/or biological substances that are provided to a sample derived from said mammal.
  • the disclosure provides an amplicon according to SEQ ID NO: 1.
  • Theamplicon can be used as a tool in the methods according to the present invention.
  • the disclosure also provides a kit for identifying and/or monitoring CD56 dim natural killer cells in a mammal based on the analysis of the methylation status of at least one CpG position in one or more of the regions of the gene for oxysterol binding protein-like proteins (OSBPL), in particular for OSBPL5, comprising materials for performing a method according to the invention.
  • OSBPL oxysterol binding protein-like proteins
  • kit preferably comprises, but is not limited to, a) a bisulfite reagent, and b) materials for the methylation analysis of CpG positions selected from the CpG positions of the gene OSBPL5, amplicon 1746 according to SEQ ID NO: 1.
  • the present invention solves the above problem that the detection of NK cells, in particular CD56 dim and CD56 bright and CD16 low or CD16 high NK cells and their distinction from one another, is problematic in essentially all applications in the R&D and in particular in all clinical (routine) applications by providing a method for identifying NK cells of a mammal, comprising analyzing the methylation status of at least one CpG position in one or more CpG positions located in the amplicon OSBPL5 according to SEQ ID NO:1 , wherein a demethylation, and/or accessibility to bisulfite conversion is highly specific or indicative for CD56 dim NK cells ("classical" NK cells).
  • the inventors furthermore present a novel and more specific way in order to monitor NK cells in all human body fluids, including human whole blood samples, or in any given (solid) tissue, organ or cell type.
  • the concept is generally based on a specific demethylation and/or accessibility to bisulfite and other chemical base specific conversion of DNA of the OSBPL, such as, for example, OSBPL5, regions in NK cells.
  • OSBPL an organic radical polymerase chain reaction
  • regions in NK cells e.g. a signal amplification method
  • the inventors show that the OSPBL, such as OSBPL5, demethylation and/or accessibility to bisulfite conversion represents surrogate markers for lymphocyte counts in blood or tissues.
  • the present inventors have thus identified particular and new regions within the OSPBL, such as OSBPL5, genes that are functionally involved in, or reliably associated with, the existence of natural killer cells.
  • the preferred region for this identification is either the promoter, or intron/exon regions of the genes for OSPBL, such as OSBPL5, and other regions containing a number of CpG motifs that exhibit a differential methylation status and/or differential accessibility to bisulfite and other chemical base specific conversion of DNA in cells expressing CD56 in either CD56 high or CD56 dim cells, which may or may not also express CD16 and CD8 compared with other cells not expressing CD56, using, for example, the bisulphite sequencing method or real time PCR analysis.
  • the main aspect of the present invention is the distinction between and among functionally different fractions of natural NK cells, namely the cytotoxic sub-fraction (often characterized by the surface markers CD56 dim , and likely CD16 high ) on one hand and the cytokine producing sub-fraction (i.e., often described as CD56 bright and CD16 low/medium ) and other human/animal cell types on the other hand.
  • the method distinguishes between CD8 positive and CD8 negative NK cell fractions or any other sub-fractions of NK cells.
  • a particular preferred embodiment is the identification by the bimodal marker NKG7
  • the inventors consider the fractionation of the subgroups such as CD8 positive or CD8 negative, the combination of the markers NKG7, CX3CR1, FGR and/or GNLY with the present marker OSBPL5, a preferred embodiment.
  • the entire NK population might be typed and quantified by the proportion of NKG7 demethylated cells, while determining the CD56 bright or alternatively the CD56 dim population by the full demethylation of OSBPL5.
  • An implementation example would be that in a sample of full blood, the number of cells with an unmethylated NKG7 region determines the absolute number of NK-like cells, while the number of OSBPL5, demethylated cells determines the proportion of the CD56 dim population. In such setting and as one embodiment, using the demethylation of OSBPL5, alone would provide for the identification of the CD56 dim population only, without determining the amount of the other NK or other cell fractions.
  • the inventors could demonstrate that in all CD56 dim NK cells the CpG motifs are almost completely demethylated (i.e. to more than 70%, preferably 80%, preferably, more than 90% and most preferred more than 95%, see above), whereas the same motifs are completely methylated in all non-NK and non-CD56 dim NK cells. Determination of the methylation status of OSBPL5 locus is therefore a valuable tool to identify NK cells, such as will be required/or at least of some value for measuring NK cells in autoimmune diseases, (viral) infections, transplant rejections, cancer, infections, allergy, or just the NK cell related immune status in any envisionable context, when desired.
  • the assay allows measurement of NK cells without purification or any staining procedures.
  • the measurement of NK cells by either of the markers described in here can be easily detected and quantified from within solid tissue samples of healthy or diseased nature, including tumorous or non-tumourous tissues.
  • solid tissue samples of healthy or diseased nature, including tumorous or non-tumourous tissues.
  • the analysis it is possible to make the analysis either from fresh, fresh-frozen or any type of conserved (such as, for example, formalin fixed and/or paraffin-embedded) tissue.
  • Another preferred embodiment is to determine the ratio between NK cells on one hand and CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD19 positive B cells, FOXP3 CD25 CD3+ cells, monocytes and/or granulocytes on the other, as well as CD56 dim NK cells versus CD56 bright , CD56 dim NK cells versus all lymphocytes, CD56 dim NK cells versus all leukocytes, or CD56 dim NK cells versus all cytotoxic cells.
  • the inventors have shown that the potential to form NK cell properties of mammalian immune cells coincide with epigenetic, i.e., DNA methylation based regulation in the genes OSBPL5.
  • DNA methylation is a biologically and chemically stable epigenetic modification, resulting in long-term gene expression changes.
  • the inventors found demethylation and/or the accessibility of the genomic DNA to bisulfite conversion at the human OSBPL5 locus to be restricted to CD56 dim NK cells when tested against all major peripheral blood cell types and a selection of different non-blood cell types/lines. These data indicated that epigenetic modifications in the OSBPL5 locus, serve as valuable marker for the identification of cells with the phenotype of NK cells, regardless of the expression of any genes.
  • the present invention relies on the surprising finding that in a particular region of the gene for OSBPL5, a so-called "NK-SDR"s (NK cell specific demethylated regions), the CpG motifs are almost completely demethylated to more than 70%, preferably more than 80%, more preferably to more than 90%, preferably 91%, even more preferably more than 92% and most preferred more than 95%, whereas the same motifs are completely methylated in all non NK cells (see above).
  • this region provides a valuable and reliable tool for a diagnostic analysis according to the present invention.
  • NK-SDRs are provided, which are located within 10000 bases upstream of the transcriptional start site of OSBPL5, preferably 9000 bases, 8000 bases, 7000 bases, 6000 bases, 5000 bases, 4000 bases, 3000 bases or 2000 bases upstream of OSBPL5, even more preferred is a region 1000 bases upstream of the transcriptional start of OSBPL5 and most preferable NK-SDRs in the first 500 bases upstream of the transcriptional start site of OSBPL5. It is, however, particularly preferred that NK-SDRs of the present invention are located within the gene promoter of OSBPL5.
  • additional preferred embodiments of the present disclosure comprise NK-SDRs downstream of the open reading frame (ORF) of OSBPL5, preferably within 10000 bases downstream of the ORF of OSBPL5, more preferable 8000 bases downstream of OSBPL5, even more preferred is a region 6000 bases downstream of the ORF of OSBPL5, preferably 4000 bases downstream of OSBPL5 and most preferable NK-SDRs in the first 2000 bases downstream of the ORF of OSBPL5.
  • ORF open reading frame
  • the present disclosure further preferably provides groups of NK-SDRs of OSBPL5, which comprise any possible combination of the aforementioned preferred NK-SDRs of OSBPL5 and the region as described, for example, in SEQ ID No. 1, above.
  • the gene NKG7 in humans is located on the reverse strand of chromosome 19.
  • the gene region spans roughly 1.3 kb comprising 5' and 3' UTRs, 4 exons and 3 intronic regions (Ensembl release 53, March 2009).
  • There is only evidence for a single splice variant of the gene a mature transcript of 826 nucleotides which encodes for 165 amino acids of the final NKG7 protein product.
  • a preferred NK-SDR is the 5' UTR of NKG7, or preferable the 3' UTR of NKG7.
  • natural killer cell specific demethylated regions of the present disclosure are located within the intronic sequences of this gene.
  • NK-SDRs that are located around the exon-intron boundaries of NKG7, preferably the boundary between the first exon and first intron and/or the first intron and second exon and/or the second exon and second intron and/or the second intron and third exon and/or the third exon and third intron and/or the third intron and fourth exon, or any possible preferred combination of the above.
  • the gene CX3CR1 in humans is located on the reverse strand of chromosome 3. The gene region spans roughly 18.5 kb genomic DNA comprising 5' and 3' UTRs, 3 exons and 2 intronic regions (Ensembl release 53, March 2009).
  • a preferred NK-SDR is the 5' UTR of CX3CR1, or preferable the 3' UTR of CX3CR1.
  • natural killer cell specific demethylated regions of the present disclosure are located within the intronic sequences of this gene.
  • NK-SDRs that are located around the exon-intron boundaries of CX3CR1, preferably the boundary between the first exon and first intron and/or the first intron and second exon and/or the second exon and the second intron and/or the second intron and third exon, or any possible preferred combination of the above.
  • the method according to the present invention is preferred, wherein said analysis of the methylation status comprises amplification with at least one primer of the primer pairs useful to amplify the amplicon according to SEQ ID NO: 1.
  • the amplification involves a polymerase enzyme, a PCR or chemical amplification reaction, or other amplification methods as known to the person of skill as described below, e.g. in the context of MSP, HeavyMethyl, Scorpion, MS-SNUPE, MethylLight, sequencing or methyl specific restriction assays.
  • the amplicon of the NK-SDR or any other region in the OSPBL, such as OSBPL5, genes or any paralog or ortholog as described herein is produced that is a particularly preferred "tool" for performing the method(s) according to the present disclosure Consequently, a primer pair for the amplification of the regions according to SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2 and parts thereof constitutes a preferred aspect of the present disclosure.
  • a method according to the invention further comprising the step of analyzing the cellular markers CD56, CD16 and/or CD8.
  • any known method to analyze expression can be used, such as methods using antibodies, and/or methylation analysis.
  • the analysis of these markers preferably further improves the accuracy of the analysis, and might allow to identify sub-sets of cells.
  • the method according to the present invention comprises an identification that is a distinction of said natural killer cells from all major peripheral blood cell types or non-blood cells.
  • the method according to the present invention can be performed with any mammal having the above markers or orthologs or paralogs thereof, preferred is a method according to the present invention, wherein said mammal is a mouse, rat, pig or cow, monkey or human, preferably a human.
  • the method(s) according to the present invention are performed in vitro .
  • all biological samples can be used, as long as they contain suitable cells or suitable DNA of cells of interest.
  • Preferred is a method wherein said sample is selected from a fresh, fresh-frozen or fully prepared sample including mammalian body fluid, preferable human whole blood samples, serum samples or a tumorous or non-tumorous solid tissue, organ or cell type blood sample, a sample of blood lymphocytes or a fraction thereof.
  • the invention is directed at a method according to the present invention which further comprises the step of concluding on the immune status of said mammal based on said natural killer cells as identified.
  • a demethylation of at least one CpG position in a OSBPL5 optionally in combination with a demethylation of at least one CpG position in at least a second gene selected from, for example, NKG7, CX3CR1, FGR, and GNLY, is indicative for a CD56 dim or CD56 bright natural killer cell.
  • Another important aspect of the present invention relates to a method according to the present invention for monitoring the level of CD56 expressing natural killer cells, in particular CD56 dim or CD56 bright , and/or CD16 + or CD16 - , and/or CD8 + or CD8 - natural killer cells in a mammal, comprising a method according to the invention as above, and comparing the amount of natural killer cells as identified with an earlier sample taken from the same mammal, and/or with a control sample.
  • said method is performed on a sample from a mammal suffering from or is likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, transplant rejections, cancer, infection, allergy and/or any disease directly correlated to NK cells, such as, but not limited to SCID-X1.
  • said method according to the invention then further comprises measuring and/or monitoring the amount of the amount of natural killer cells in response to chemical and/or biological substances that are provided to a sample derived from said mammal. That is, changes in the amount or ratio of natural killer cells that are caused by, for example, the treatment of a disease (e.g. as described herein), and the success and/or progress of said treatment in terms of an effect on the natural killer cells can be followed using this method.
  • a follow-up of the methylation pattern based on the markers herein will point to changes in the cells that are due to a response to said chemical and/or biological substances, in some cases even before a phenotypic change can be observed.
  • a method for identifying chemical and/or biological substances that selectively modulate natural killer cells expressing the markers as described herein comprising contacting one or more of said chemical and/or biological substance with said natural killer cells, and detecting, whether said chemical and/or biological substance modulates the methylation of the CpG positions as analyzed, and/or whether said one or more of said chemical and/or biological substance selectively modulates the amount and/or ratio ofmarker-expressing natural killer cells.
  • a modulation of said natural killer cells that increases the amount and/or ratio of said natural killer cells.
  • the method can be performed in vitro and/or in a suitable non-human animal.
  • the present disclosure provides a method, sometimes called a "screening-method", that seeks to identify chemical and/or biological substances modulating expression of the markers as above that can be used as starting points for the development of natural killer cell-specific medication and respective pharmaceutical compositions.
  • the present method is based on the fact that it is well accepted that the marker genes as identified herein must play a central role for the development of natural killer cells. Therefore, factors stimulating marker expression are interesting for the treatment of patients. Such factors, which lead to a stable modification, preferably induction, of the development/ratio/amount of natural killer cells, can be detected with the method described in this disclosure.
  • Chemical and/or biological substances that are suitable as screening compounds are known to the person of skill and, for example, include small molecules, peptides and proteins, and antibodies or fragments thereof. Furthermore, the screening can be done using a commercially compound library, optimally together with suitable automation, such as a robot. In one preferred embodiment of the method for identifying chemical and/or biological substances, said substance provides a demethylation of the CpG positions as analyzed to at least 80%, preferably 90%, and more preferably 95%.
  • the inventors have purified various blood subsets including CD3/CD4, CD3/CD8 na ⁇ ve and memory T lymphocytes, various different fractions of CD56 natural killer cells, such as NKT CD3 + CD56 + , CD3-CD56 + , CD3 - CD56 ++ , as well as CD19 na ⁇ ve and memory B cells, CD14 monocytes, CD15 granulocytes, as well as non lymphogenic cell lines (see table 1). DNA from the purified cells was bisulfite-treated analyzed at various CpG dinucleotide motifs. The inventors then compared the methylation status (finding C as for Cytosine that was methylated in the original (genomic) sequence versus T for cytosine that was unmethylated in the original sequence).
  • the data shows various CpG sites and motifs in regions in the OSBPL5 gene that were demethylated in then NK classic CD3 - CD56 + CD16 + cell samples, while fully methylated in all other blood cell types, such as, for example, CD56 ++ cells.

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Claims (12)

  1. Procédé permettant d'identifier des cellules tueuses naturelles dans un échantillon dérivé d'un mammifère, comprenant l'analyse de l'état de méthylation d'au moins une position de CpG dans une ou plusieurs régions du gène pour la protéine 5 de type protéine de liaison de l'oxystérol (OBPL5), dans lequel une déméthylation de ladite au moins une position de CpG dans ladite région telle qu'analysée, comparativement à une position analogue dans une cellule non-CD56dim-NK et/ou non-CD56high, indique une cellule naturelle tueuse CD56dim et/ou CD56high, et dans lequel ladite au moins une position de CpG est choisie parmi les positions de CpG localisées dans l'amplicon OSBPL5 (Amp 1746) selon SEQ ID NO : 1.
  2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ladite au moins une position de CpG est choisie parmi les positions 46, 66, 103, 130, 135, 152, 163, 173, 176, 182, et 224 de Amp 1746.
  3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel l'analyse de l'état de méthylation comprend un procédé choisi parmi des digestions enzymatiques spécifiques de la méthylation, le séquençage bisulfite, une analyse choisie parmi la méthylation des promoteurs, la méthylation des îlots CpG, la MSP, les procédés HeavyMethyl, MethyLight, Ms-SNuPE, qPCR ou d'autres procédés reposant sur une détection d'ADN.
  4. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3, comprenant en outre une analyse des marqueurs CD56, CD16 et/ou CD8.
  5. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4, dans lequel ladite identification comprend une distinction desdites cellules tueuses naturelles de tous les types cellulaires principaux du sang périphérique, des cellules non sanguines et/ou des cellules CD56bright.
  6. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, dans lequel ledit échantillon est choisi parmi un échantillon de sang, tel que, par exemple, du sang total, et un échantillon tissulaire.
  7. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 6, comprenant en outre l'étape de conclusion sur le nombre et/ou la quantité desdites cellules tueuses naturelles telles qu'identifiées dans ledit échantillon en se basant sur ladite identification.
  8. Procédé selon la revendication 7, comprenant en outre l'étape de conclusion sur l'état immunitaire dudit mammifère en se basant sur le nombre et/ou la quantité desdites cellules tueuses naturelles telles qu'identifiées dans ledit échantillon.
  9. Procédé de suivi du taux de cellules tueuses naturelles CD56dim et/ou CD56high chez un mammifère, comprenant un procédé selon la revendication 7, et la comparaison de la quantité de cellules tueuses naturelles telles qu'identifiées avec un échantillon antérieur prélevé du même mammifère, et/ou avec un échantillon témoin.
  10. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 9, dans lequel ledit mammifère souffre de ou est susceptible de souffrir de maladies auto-immunes, de rejets de transplants, d'un cancer, d'infections, d'une allergie et/ou de toute maladie en corrélation directe avec les cellules NK, telle que, mais n'y étant pas limitée, le SCID-X1.
  11. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 10, comprenant en outre la mesure et/ou le suivi de la quantité desdites cellules tueuses naturelles en réponse à des substances chimiques et/ou biologiques qui sont fournies à un échantillon dérivé dudit mammifère.
  12. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 11, dans lequel ledit mammifère est un être humain.
EP12737302.5A 2011-07-22 2012-07-23 Marqueur épigénétique pour l'identification de cellules tueuses naturelles Active EP2734638B1 (fr)

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GBGB1112586.1A GB201112586D0 (en) 2011-07-22 2011-07-22 Epigenetic marker for the identification of natural killer cells
PCT/EP2012/064389 WO2013014122A1 (fr) 2011-07-22 2012-07-23 Marqueur épigénétique pour l'identification de cellules tueuses naturelles

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PL2986735T3 (pl) 2013-04-19 2019-08-30 Epiontis Gmbh Sposób określania składu ilościowego komórek krwi w próbce
GB201516971D0 (en) * 2015-09-25 2015-11-11 Epiontis Gmbh MVD as epigenetic marker for the identification of immune cells, in particular CD56+ NK cells
DE102017125150B4 (de) 2017-10-26 2019-10-10 Epiontis Gmbh Endosialin (CD248) als epigenetischer Marker zur Identifizierung von Immunzellen, insbesondere naïver CD8+ T-Zellen

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JP2002171973A (ja) 2000-12-07 2002-06-18 Univ Tokyo Ｄｎａメチル化パターンによる細胞の同定法
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PL2248913T3 (pl) * 2009-04-28 2017-04-28 Epiontis Gmbh GNLY jako marker epigenetyczny do identyfikacji komórek naturalnej cytotoksyczności ekspresjonujących CD56

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JP2014520560A (ja) 2014-08-25
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US20140234837A1 (en) 2014-08-21
WO2013014122A1 (fr) 2013-01-31
JP6113159B2 (ja) 2017-04-12
CA2842266A1 (fr) 2013-01-31
US10294527B2 (en) 2019-05-21
DK2734638T3 (en) 2016-12-05
GB201112586D0 (en) 2011-09-07

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